Nepal Industry Minister Raj Joshi told newsmen in Kathmandu that the country was expecting at least 300 international visitors, including foreign diplomatic missions in Nepal, foreign investors, potential foreign and domestic Investors, national and foreign media, Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs), development partners, experts, private sector organization representatives and government representatives at the summit.

The IBN said that the main objective of the summit is to promote Nepal as the investment destination for the next decade. It will be used as a platform to showcase Nepal’s investment opportunities especially to large-scale investors looking to explore opportunities in a new destination.

On Feb 13 at about 1210 hours an armoured cash-in-transit (CIT) vehicle of a private security services company was parked outside the Tarnol branch of Meezan Bank in Islamabad to pick up cash amounting to Rs. 14 million from the bank . As the two security guards, Supervisor Muhammad... More

The Oxfam infection has spread far and wide. Its impact is deeper than just one NGO facing problems about covering up sex abuse in Haiti and as we learn Chad as well. Now reports are saying that sexual abuse cases are routine in the international development world which till... More

Despite its reservations about the Abdulla Yameen regime in the Maldives, India does not appear to be responding to the call of the Maldivian opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed to initiate a “military-backed diplomatic initiative” to force Yameen to retract from his drastic actions against the judiciary.
According to the Maldivian... More

While the US continues to do drone attacks in Pakistan, the diplomat spat between them hasn’t ended. On the contrary it seems to be widening as Pakistan continues its drift away from the US towards China and Russia.
The gap is undoubtedly widening between the two erstwhile allies. While the... More

Sentencing BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia to 5 years in jail triggers a fresh confrontational phase in Bangladesh politics, already deluged by hostility. It also makes the election, scheduled for December 2018, considerably uncertain about inclusive participation. Bangladesh’s experience with electoral politics has been miserable since birth and with... More

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, exudes confidence. I visited Dhaka for the first time in April 1972, within four months of the birth of Bangladesh. Dhaka, then pronounced Dacca, was a small town, desperately trying to accommodate the demands of a sovereign state. There is no doubt that the... More

The West’s notions of history and geography between Europe and Asia, are drenched in myriad cultural implications and can be traced back to ‘The Romance of Alexander’.
This is a collection of essays mixing truth, epic drama and mythology, composed between the death of Alexander The Great in 323 B.C.,... More

Referred to as an interminable and protracted war, the ongoing US-led war in Afghanistan is becoming a stalemate with no end in sight in the near or long term. Since the violence and bloodshed have been the most common phenomenon in an already war-torn region, the war is perhaps... More

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an aggressive reachout to farmers and the poor in the new Budget, but analysts say it remains to be seen if this course correction will work.
They say it hinges on whether the government will be able to implement the schemes. It also... More

Just a few days ago I warned two young student leaders in Darjeeling of West Bengal, against the violent movement which has started there for a separate Gorkhaland. I told them in no way should they support this demand. This has multifarious geo-political risks. If a Gorkhaland state is... More

South Asian Monitor is a flagship organization of Media Watch. It monitors political, economic, cultural, social and strategic developments of the South Asian region. Prominent writers, columnists, media persons and analysts of South Asia contribute in-depth reports, analyses, features and columns here ... More